Broken Sisters
by lovegameangel101
Summary: 26-year-old Catalina and 23-year-old Rosa have been close together since their family was killed in a fire fourteen years ago. Catalina had always thought that nothing could tear them apart. Discovering her sister's betrayal shattered her world. Rosa vowed to kill her that day. Will Rosa succeed in killing Catalina? Or will Catalina kill her instead?
1. Discovery

The sky let loose its load of drops as a woman gazed down at two guards blocking the only entrance into the building she stood on. There were more guards just down the road on the left and the right. She let out a sigh as thunder rolled. Then the idea struck her. If she could attack as thunder filled the air, she could slip through without alerting the other guards.

 _I can't wait to find out if my sister is doing well on her own contract,_ she thought as she walked over to the left toward an alley. After dropping herself over the edge, she eased her way down the wall, gripping hard onto ledges to avoid falling due to the rain. As soon as her feet touched the once dry stone path, she let out a breath of relief. She hated working during storms.

After calming her racing heart, she made her way around the corner and to the guards. She kept her eyes on the skies, watching for lightning. As soon as she saw it, she dashed at the guards, ejecting both hidden blades.

The thunder crashed so loudly that it scared some people somewhere inside the building, making them scream and covering up the guards' cries as their throats were pierced. She closed her eyes as she flinched a bit from some blood spattering onto her face. Gross, was all that went through her mind. Pushing the guards down and off the blades, she listened for rushing feet. She heard none.

Her plan had worked.

She picked up one of the bodies and carried it behind a large stack of wine barrels left outside in front of a tailor shop across the road. She dropped the body there before doing the same with the other body. She double checked on the other guards' location before slipping inside.

Once inside and out of the rain, she wiped her face with a cloth from one of her pouches around her waist. She stuffed it back in the pouch when she was done, hoping she had gotten all of the blood. She couldn't afford to botch this job. Her graduation depended on it.

Taking a deep breath, she walked down the hall she found herself in, following the voices from the party being held. They led her to an open set of double doors that revealed a large ballroom. _Someone_ _certainly loves parties,_ she thought crossly as she activated her Eagle Vision. The neon colors still dazzled her even after all the years she had used it. She loved her ability.

She pushed her awestruck self away. _Focus!_ she told herself. _Don't mess this up!_

She spotted her target in bright gold lingering on the other side of the room, flirting with a neon blue woman. She deactivated her Vision. When she saw the woman clearly, her heart stopped. It was her sister. Why was she here, flirting with a Templar?

The Assassin closed her eyes, her mission temporarily forgotten. This made no sense. Her sister had trained by her side since they were recruited ten years ago. How could all of the lessons and the creed be thrown away so easily? She opened her brown eyes and stared at her sister. _No_ , she thought. _She isn't_ _betraying us. She is getting information for me. She finished her contract and decided to help me._

Convincing herself to believe the thought was true, she slipped into the thick crowd. She moved with the people to get to a shadowy part behind her target. She kept her gaze fixed on the two, noticing her sister had no idea she was there. She couldn't suppress a sound of disgust when they locked lips.

Now she had more reason to kill him.

The two busy making out, she stepped up behind him, her steps silent as a cat's. She drove her blade into his back and straight into his heart, her trained body naturally performing the angle perfectly. He broke the kiss and let out a strangled cry of agony. Her sister gasped in horror, making the Assassin doubt her loyalty again.

She removed her blade as she laid the man down. "May you find peace of mind now. Rest in peace." She struggled on the words of respect. Her sister suddenly pushed her hood down and yanked on her hair, making the Assassin grunt in pain. "Let go, Rosa!"

"You killed my boyfriend!" she screamed as she began pummeling on her with her manicured hands. The Assassin easily turned the tables and pinned her to the wall. Rosa struggled against her. It made her sister realize how much more she believed in the creed. "Rosa, how could you betray us?" she demanded, restraining herself from shaking the woman.

"Do you really think the creed can save this world? The Templars are right. We need order to keep peace." She sneered. "And now you are a prime target for killing a very important man." The cold hateful look took the Assassin by surprise. Her sister had once looked at her so kindly. They had always been there for each other. "Why?" she whispered, her heart breaking. "The creed is the right way to live. And what about all we've been through? All the hard times?"

Rosa rolled her dark brown eyes. Her red lips curled up in a face of disgust. "You are so enthralled by them that I have given up on you. You aren't the sister who took the lead and led us down the right path anymore." She lifted her face to the ceiling. "Help! My lover has been killed! Guards!"

Her cry quickly started a panic among the crowd. The Assassin threw her sister to the side before fleeing unceremoniously toward the exit. The crowd knocked her down a good number of times before she made it out into the dark hall. The candles had gone out. She listened to the people scream as she ran to the front door, one hand out on the wall, counting each door she touched to make sure her memory was correct.

Reaching the last number, she threw the door open, relieved to see the dim sunlight of day. She ran across the road and scaled the wall of the tailor shop, hauling herself up onto the roof at the top. She paused and looked down at the open door. Her mind whirled with questions. Her heart was aching with betrayal. "Goodbye, Rosa," she muttered before continuing her escape.

As she ran across the roofs, her feet slipped constantly, all of the assured grace of an Assassin on a dry day gone. _Curse this storm_ , she thought bitterly. "Curse my sister!" she snapped out loud. She reached a gap between buildings too large to jump safely. A road was below. She looked around till she spotted a scaffolding through the heavy rain. It was on the side of the buildings down the road a bit. "Grazie," she muttered as she jogged over to the roof right across from it.

She panted hard, her mind forcing the betrayal back to the front of everything else. "No!" she cried out as thunder rumbled. How could her sister do this to them? To her? She had thought they would do everything together as Assassins. "Damn Templars!" They had managed to brainwash her sister!

"There! The Assassin! Get them!"

She turned around and saw guards struggling to get to her on the slippery tiles of the roofs. One slipped and fell, sliding over the edge and falling to his death on the road below. It brought obvious doubt unto the group of guards. They stopped. Was it really worth it?

Taking advantage of their confusion, she backed up. Judging she was a good distance for a run that would carry her across, she took off. At the edge, she jumped, the weightlessness making her feel like an eagle. She reached out and caught the edge of the top of the scaffold when she neared it. She pulled herself up on top of it and looked back at the guards. They were beginning to climb down. Any other day and they would have tried to follow.

She watched them walk away, giving up and choosing life over death. She sat down to catch her breath. Instead, the tears she'd been fighting rolled down her cheeks. Her whole world had been shattered. "Rosa, why?" she shouted at the skies.


	2. Betrayal Again

"Catalina!"

The Assassin gasped as her eyes shot open, her dream evaporating into an abyss. She blinked and grunted from the bright sunlight filling her room through a wide open window. She sat up and looked around before her brown eyes landed on a familiar young man at her door. "Ezio, what are you doing here? How did you get in my home?" she asked in bewilderment.

"No time to explain. Get dressed! We've got little time to perform this mission!" he said urgently. He grabbed her armor and robes from the wardrobe as she jumped out of bed. She caught her robes when he tossed them to her before stripping out of her nightgown. She didn't care if she saw her naked. There wasn't time to worry and he didn't seem to be bothered by it.

With his help, she got her armor on quickly. She put on her boots before following him out of the window. She rolled when she hit the ground below. As soon as they were both up, they sprinted down the road. "So, what is going on?" she asked as she followed him.

He glanced back at her. "A Templar slipped into our order and is going to poison Sargon!"

Sargon was an Assassin from Syria. He came while traveling a few years ago and decided to stay after falling in love with Italia.

"Why him?" she muttered. He was a very interesting person and always had entertaining stories to tell from his travels. How could anyone want to kill him? A thought hit her. "Who is it?"

Ezio didn't reply right away and she dreaded the answer. Rosa came to mind. She still felt bitter over her. The event had happened two years ago. After that day, she disappeared. Catalina had given up on trying to figure things out after a few months of sleepless nights and dead ends in research. If she wasn't meant to understand how she became a traitor, then so be it.

Sargon stepped off the boat onto the dock after Bello. They had just returned from fetching some new wine barrels for the birthday party they had planned for Catalina.

Bello smiled as he poured some from a bottle given as a gift. He had brought cups for both of them. "Let's try it," he said as Sargon watched some storm clouds on the horizon. Bello took advantage of his distraction to pour the poison in from a small leather pouch. After stirring it with his finger a bit, he called to Sargon. The Assassin smiled as he looked at him.

"I hope it is good. I don't want her party to be ruined by bad wine."

"It's Bello, isn't it?" she guessed as the man came to mind.

"I'm sorry, Catalina," Ezio apologized as he stopped to look at her. They were now at the clearing in front of the Palazzo Ducale di Venezia. "I know you loved him."

She huffed immediately. "You, too? We were just friends! A man and woman can be best friends without having it be a relationship, stronzo!" she snapped, angry at the assumptions that had reached her master. He smiled, finding her outburst amusing. She glared at him. "Well, where is he?"

"Bello is over there." He pointed out the man standing beside Sargon on one of the docks, offering a cup to him. Seeing this shot anger and adrenaline through her body. "Sargon!" she shouted as she sprinted her way across the large clearing. Sargon didn't hear her and sipped from the cup. Bello smiled innocently.

Catalina pushed people out of her way before grabbing a knife from her pouch and tossing it, praying it would strike the cup like in the image in her head. She missed but it was enough to gain their attention. They looked over at her and immediately Sargon realized what was happening as his throat tightened. He grabbed his throat as he fought for air.

Catalina reached them and Bello blocked her hidden blade with his bracer. The hit sent a wave of pain through her arm but she ignored it, furious at his betrayal. "I hate people like you!" she screamed as she drove her other hidden blade into his neck. Blood splattered onto her arm and hand but she didn't care. She pushed him down and turned to her dying friend. He was bent over, struggling to breathe. She quickly searched Bello's dying body for an antidote. To her luck, she found a vial.

"We made one...in case...I drank the poison..." Bello spluttered before his head lolled to one side.

She uncorked it as Ezio reached them. He held Sargon up as she poured the liquid into his mouth, tilting his head up. _Please work!_ she begged in her mind as she massaged his throat to work the liquid down. Long minutes passed before he was breathing normally again. He hugged her. "Thank you so much, Catalina! You saved my life."

She hugged him back, fighting tears of relief and hurt. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Catalina sighed as she ran her brush through her long, thick brown hair that evening. _I can't believe I_ _looked up to him_ , she thought as she remembered the fun times she had with Bello. He had been so sweet to her. Maybe he had liked her. She would never know now. She felt guilt worm its way into her heart. She had told him of her hate for him as she killed him. Maybe that hurt him more than her blade.

She shook her head. She shouldn't feel sorry for him. He had betrayed her trust by trying to kill Sargon. He didn't deserve any kindness from her.

A knock at her bedroom door startled her out of her thoughts. She turned in her chair to look at the door. "Come in," she called. The door opened and Ezio walked in. She furrowed her brow in confusion. "How are you getting in? I always lock my door!"

He smiled and held up a lockpick set. "La Volpe gave this to me. He said it might come in handy for some situations."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course." She turned back to her mirror on her vanity. "What do you need?" she asked as she returned to brushing her hair. He walked over to her side. His face was thoughtful as he watched her. "I found Bello's journal this morning when I went to ask him to do a contract. It was open to his entry of his plans to kill Sargon. After the whole ordeal on the docks, I went through it. Bello was in love with you," he said as he set the journal on the vanity.

She looked over at it, his words sinking in. The red leather book called to her to look for herself. She looked away from it, unable to answer her curiosity. "What else did it say?"

Ezio felt bad for her, seeing her emotions warring in her eyes. "He was originally sent to kill you."

His words made her look at him in shock. "Kill me?"

His face darkened. "You're one of their top priorities. It didn't say who sent him or why you're being hunted."

Her sister came to mind. "Rosa."

"Who?"

"My sister. She was one of us long before we met. She betrayed us two years ago. She was labeled a Rogue Assassin when I discovered she had switched over to the Templars during a contract. When we last spoke, she was not the sister I grew up with. I had hoped she had left when we no longer knew of her whereabouts. I guess not."

Ezio held out his hand. "How about we have a night of fun? After today, I could use it. I know you most certainly could."

She sighed, banishing her thoughts. She took his hand, glad for the abrupt change of subject. "Let's."

After she was in a dress and he still in his Assassin robes, they went out. Lanterns were lit every where as the number of days till Carnevale grew shorter. Some performers were practicing their acts and others were still busily setting up decorations.

"I am eager for the big day," she said as they watched a performer stand on his hands. "I always enjoyed Carnevale."

Ezio smiled. "This will be my first time. Will you show me around, bella?"

She couldn't help but blush. "I would like that," she said with a wink. "I know all the best ways to enjoy it."

Ezio chuckled. "I never knew you would flirt back. I have seen so many walk away from you broken hearted."

"They think they know me. They preach their supposed love for me and bring me gifts. Why would I accept the gifts of a married man?"

"So even the married swoon for your beauty."

"Still they need to learn to not try and cheat on their wives. I'm sure their wives love them still."

"I agree with you. My sister once had a man who cheated on her. I went and kicked his ass for it. No one gets away with hurting my sister."

"When I do decide to court someone, I will make sure he understands that I will not tolerate cheating or any kind of disloyalty." Catalina smirked. "Maybe I'll call upon you to teach them a lesson."

"I would be glad to," he said with a bow. He took her hand and kissed the back of it. "Anything for you, Catalina."

"I can see why all the ladies adore you," she giggled, her cheeks hot with a blush. Ezio straightened and smiled as he held out his arm. She linked her arm with his and they continued walking, enjoying the night.


	3. Party Time!

The days flew by and it was time for Carnevale. Catalina and the other Assassins were preparing to head out for a night of fun. She was unaware that they had set up a party for her birthday.

Catalina stood in her room, checking herself out in her mirror. _The dress looks great_ , she thought, making a mental note to thank her friends later. She went over to her vanity and picked up the silver mask she had bought Ezio. _I hope he likes it,_ she thought as she turned and headed out of her room.

She made her way downstairs, hearing voices from the kitchen. _Ezio_ , she thought, recognizing his voice. _And Claudia?_

 _Stop breaking into my house, Ezio_ , she thought as she headed to the front door. _I'll give him his mask when we meet up in front of the bordello._ She reached for the knob and froze when she heard them mention her name. She felt the tug of curiosity. _No! Don't eavesdrop. It isn't a mission._ She stood there, hand inches from the knob, unable to will herself to leave. She tuned her senses to the kitchen, hoping to catch more than just her name.

"She should be on her way. If we leave now, we can beat her and finish setting up," Claudia said.

"Then let's go," Ezio replied.

 _Damn!_ She quickly slipped out and shut the door quietly. She picked up her skirt and hurried into a thick crowd to disappear. _What were they talking about? What are they setting up?_ She furrowed her brow. _It doesn't make sense. What could they be planning?_ _A party for tonight?_

A scream startled her out of her thoughts. She whipped her head in the direction of the scream and saw a man and woman laughing. "You scared me, dear!" the woman laughed. Catalina rolled her eyes. _Had me worried there._ She turned her attention to her home, spotting Ezio and Claudia walking away from it. _I'll follow them._

She shadowed them, keeping out of sight. There were a few times they stopped to buy some things and she swore Ezio knew she was following them by the way he turned his head a bit every time. She stopped when they began walking along the road to the La Rosa della Virtù. _So they were coming here as well._ She waited till they were inside before sighing and walking up to the door.

She stopped herself from knocking. _I should wait a bit before going inside. Make it more believable._ She walked away to explore for a bit. She fiddled with the mask as she walked, enjoying the sights. _This is my favorite time of year._ She stopped and watched a performer blow fire into the air. Her brown eyes sparkled with awe. _Wow!_ she thought excitedly.

She jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder just after she sensed someone behind her. She stepped forward and turned around quickly, ready to fight. She let out a sigh, seeing it was Ezio. "Really?" she huffed, embarrassed.

He laughed. "Sorry. I just couldn't help myself." His hood was down and his eyes glittered with amusement. She smiled. "What happened to meeting in front of the bordello?" she asked as she moved away from the performer to escape the flames.

"Well, I decided I couldn't wait to meet you." His words made her shake her head with a laugh. His eyes landed on the mask. "Who is it for?"

She was confused for a brief second before realizing he was talking about the mask. She felt her cheeks heat up as she held it out to him. "I bought it for you. I figured you would like to enjoy dressing up a bit."

He smiled. "Grazie, Catalina." He took it from her and put it on. "Show me around?"

"With pleasure," she said as they started walking. "They hold games that I think you'd quite enjoy. Races, fighting, ribbon-gathering and so on."

"Sounds like fun."

"Tonight I will be one of the girls with a ribbon if you decide to play."

"I think I will."

She felt the heat in her cheeks become stronger. _Stop blushing!_ she shouted in her mind at herself. She glanced at him. "Have you tried any of the foods yet?" she asked, knowing full well he had at one of the stops with Claudia.

"Don't you know that answer?"

She irked and looked away with embarrassment. "I don't know what you're talking about." Her reaction made him laugh as they maneuvered through a crowd.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist following us. I saw you through the crowd after you left."

"Oh, come on, Ezio! There is no way you knew!"

"You're in an all blue dress with ribbons hanging from your waist. You're really obvious."

"You saw me when that man moved from in front of me, didn't you?"

"Yes."

She sighed. "I had hoped you hadn't seen me."

"We will work on your stealth."

"Hey!" She playfully punched his arm. "I am not that bad!"

He laughed as he rubbed where she punched him. "Sorry. I had to."

Together, they walked back to the bordello, laughing as they joked around. Just before she was about to open the door, he took her hand and pulled her away. "Why don't we enjoy some time alone together before going inside, bella?"

She blushed again as she gave a look of confusion. "Okay?" She let him pull her away to a bench. He sat down, letting go of her hand. She was even more confused. _I was hoping for something more romantic than sitting for some reason._ She sat beside him anyway. "What's really going on?"

"Nothing is going on," he said, putting on an act of innocence.

She thought for a moment. _I know how to get information from you._ She hugged his arm, pressing her chest against it, lowering her eyes seductively. "Come on, Ezio. Please tell me," she pleaded, doing her best to be cute or sexy. _I cannot believe I'm doing this._ She cursed herself in her mind as he smiled.

"So very tempting, Catalina." He leaned down to where their faces were a few inches apart. "But there is nothing I'm hiding," he said before stealing a kiss. She felt her face become hot. _Damn! He got me!_

She pulled away. "You bastardo!" she snapped as he began laughing. She huffed as she stood. _What is with him?_ He grabbed her hand and she snatched her hand away.

"Catalina, I'm sorry! I couldn't help myself." He stood and pulled her into a hug. "Let's go for a walk."

She stayed silent as she thought about it. "Fine," she said, forgiving him after a moment. He let her go and they started walking. She linked her arm with his, a smile on her face. "You owe me."

"What did you have in mind?"

"I'll think of it later. For now, let's have fun."

They headed back to the La Rosa della Virtù after a while. When they walked inside, Claudia greeted them. She smiled as their friends walked into the room. "Happy birthday, Catalina!" they cheered. Catalina put on a smile as dread filled her being. _I had forgotten it was my birthday. Rosa, where are you?_

She pretended to be happy as they celebrated her birthday inside till dark. For the rest of the night, they were going to celebrate it during Carnevale.

"See you later, Ezio," she said when it was time for the games. "Make sure you win."

Ezio smiled. "I will." He took her hand and kissed the back of it. "I have a surprise for you later."

She blushed and smiled. "I am eager to know what it is." They parted ways. She made her way through the city to where a group of women with the same colored dresses and ribbons waited for her. She smiled when she found them and joined their circle. "I love this game," she said, forcing her sister to the back of her mind. The memory of her betrayal had plagued her mind since the surprise.

"I wonder who will win this year," an older woman said, her brown eyes full of excitement. "My husband won last year."

"Oh, Maria! You two married?" Catalina exclaimed happily. Her spirits were lifting.

Maria nodded as the other women leaned a bit closer, eager to hear all about how it came to be. Maria smiled as she began. "As you know, thanks to my skirt getting caught on the wood of that stand, we met when he helped me get it unstuck. We met again when he entered the games and came to us to gather our ribbons."

"Hello, ladies," interrupted a voice. Catalina turned and smiled. "Ezio, you found me already."

Ezio smiled as he easily took their ribbons from their waists. "I followed you after they started the game."

"You sneak," she laughed. "Good luck on the others."

"See you afterwards, bella," he said before kissing her cheek and walking away.

"Catalina, I think he likes you," Maria said as they watched him walk away.

Catalina shook her head. "It is just friendly flirting. I don't really have time to deal with love."

"I know you're an Assassin but you have to have time for love," another woman scolded.

"No, I don't, Angela. I am busy with work."

"Come on. Just give it a chance," Angela persisted. "You have been on your own for so long."

"No!" she snapped, turning around and crossing her arms.

"Catalina, are you scared of being betrayed?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," she replied before walking away. _I can't handle this._ She fought back her tears as her mind whirled with her sister's betrayal. _We went through so much together and she betrayed me._

She was blinded by her thoughts as she hurried through the crowded streets, trying to find somewhere to be alone. _Why did my birthday have to be celebrated? Don't they know this is the day she hurt me?_

She turned into an alley and stopped herself in time from stepping over the edge at the end. Below, the water moved ever onward, unaware of the life it almost took. _I can't swim in dresses._ She backed away, her heart pounding in her chest.

She sank to her knees as she hugged herself. _I thought I was over it!_ She had managed to convince herself she was fine. So much time had passed that she should have been fine. So why did every birthday hurt? _Love isn't worth this pain. I want to be alone for all my life. I don't want to be hurt again._

She began sobbing as her memories took over. The day she saved her sister from being kidnapped. The time they robbed a noble's house together. All the days they stole food to try and survive.

 _How can someone betray someone after all they've been through?_ She looked up when the fireworks entered her haze of sadness. The bright colors reminded her of her meeting with Ezio. _I need to calm down. Things will get easier, right? It's my birthday. I should be happy._ She wiped her tears away and got up. It was a while before she was sure she was calm enough to go meet with him.

She took a deep breath and walked out of the alley. She made her way back to where they had parted at the beginning of the games. Once back in the large clearing overlooking the ocean, she waited for him on a bench, using the time alone to calm down more.

She fiddled with her skirt, distracting herself with ideas for a new design for next year. Some time passed before someone sat beside her. _Ezio finally arrived,_ she thought with a sigh. "Are you okay, Catalina?" She looked over at the person in surprise. It wasn't Ezio like she thought.

The man wore the robes of the brotherhood but she didn't recognize him. "Who are you?"

"I'm one of the new apprentices. My name is Piero da Mosco. I noticed you seem upset. May I ask why?"

Catalina couldn't help but smile. _He is trying to be helpful._ "I am sorry but this isn't something I can talk about freely."

"Oh. Well, why don't we dance?"

"Actually I am waiting for Ezio."

"You're friends with him?"

She nodded. "But you seem sweet so I will give you a dance."

He smiled and stood. He held out his hand and she took it. He helped her up. "How do you like the brotherhood?" she asked as they walked away to a spot clear from the party goers.

"I enjoy it. Fighting for a better world has always been my dream."

"You seem to be an interesting fellow, Piero. I feel you will go far."

"Thank you for the compliment. It is an honor coming from you."

They began to dance. Catalina giggled a bit. "Have I really made such an impact among the apprentices?"

"Yes, you have!" He became excited, unable to hold back his admiration of her. "We hear so many amazing stories about your adventures. Many of us want to be like you."

She blushed with embarrassment. "You flatter me." They walked in a circle, their linked hands in the air. Her sixth sense then kicked in as the moonlight glinted off of his bracer on his right arm.


End file.
